The English civil war in the 1640s has divided the land between the supporters of Parliament under Oliver Cromwell (the Roundheads) and the Royalists faithful to the Stuart monarchy (the Cavaliers). King Charles I has been beheaded.
Anthony Clark Evans as Sir Riccardo Forth in I Puritani Photo: © Todd Rosenberg Photography 2018
Sunday 28 October at 6.00pm on RNZ Concert
The opera takes place at a fortress near Plymouth. Elvira is betrothed to Sir Riccardo Forth, a Puritan colonel, although she is not in love with him.
Adrian Sâmpetrean in I Puritani Photo: © Todd Rosenberg Photography 2018
Instead, she loves Arturo Talbot, a Cavalier and a Stuart sympathizer, who loves her in return. Once aware of Elvira’s unhappiness, Elvira's uncle, Sir Giorgio, convinces her father, Lord Walter, to give his permission for her to marry Arturo.
Albina Shagimuratova in I Puritani Photo: Andrew Cioffi
At the wedding celebration, Arturo discovers that Queen Enrichetta has been imprisoned in the castle. By covering the queen in a wedding veil, Arturo helps her escape. Elvira believes she has been abandoned by Arturo, but in the end, the two are happily reunited.
Lawrence Brownlee & Albina Shagimuratova in I Puritani Photo: © Todd Rosenberg Photography 2018
Sir Andrew Davis has said: “Bel canto works provide opera goers with endless pleasure, and within that repertoire, Bellini stands supreme for the sheer grace and elegance of the melodies. I Puritani is one of his greatest masterpieces, abounding with one unforgettable moment after another, including the baritone’s romantic soliloquy, the soprano’s mad scene, and the tenor’s final aria with its famous F above high C!”
I Puritani Photo: © Todd Rosenberg Photography 2018
Cast:
Alec Carlson (Sir Bruno Robertson), Albina Shagimuratova (Elvira Walton), Lawrence Brownlee (Lord Arturo Talbot), Anthony Clark Evans (Sir Riccardo Forth), Adrian Sâmpetrean (Sir Giorgio Walton), Alan Higgs (Lord Gualtiero Walton), Lauren Decker (Queen Enichetta), Chorus & Orchestra of Chicago Lyric Opera/Enrique Mazzolla
Recorded in Lyric Opera House, Chicago by WFMT
